Blues Music - American grandfather of Music Styles

Blues Music-American grandfather of Music Styles

What does American music sound? You know what the music of Germany, Spain, Ireland, Japan, and many of the other countries of the world, such as sounds. Each country with its own distinctive culture has a recognizable musical sound that comes from that culture. But what about the United States?

America was settled by people mainly from Europe. The early music of America was actually the European music. There was quite a variety of musical forms to be heard and some people will perhaps say that still is in America today. But there are common elements in the contemporary music that did not exist in the music of the early settler.

It was the influence of the African slaves who brought changes to American musical forms. African culture was suppressed by slavery. Their religion, language and overall general culture was removed from them. But, because the African culture was one of oral traditions, it was impossible to eliminate their entire cultural way of life. Many aspects of their musical heritage were preserved.

Before the day of the radio, movies or tv, people had to entertain themselves. Dancing and music in General were the main focus of entertainment in the life of the early settler. Slaves were quick to learn that by being musicians themselves, they could improve their lives a bit, because good musicians were appreciated in those early days. She taught European music and musical instruments of the time. But to this European music they brought the influence of their own musical culture.

There were aspects of the African musical background who were very different than the Europeans. It would be a book to fully explain these differences, but they can be simplified into two different aspects. It has to do with a more complex rhythm pattern and the other has to do with the variations in nuts of the Western show ladder that the Africans added to the music. They brought both their playing these variations of instruments and their vocals. And, in the end whites grew to find it fun.

Although these influences can be heard in the beginning of the American music in the beginning of the 19th century especially in church music, it did not develop into another musical form until after the civil war. With the freedom of the Afro-Americans were able to travel and a mixture of musical know-how of the other white and black musicians experienced. Slowly a new musical style was born. It was called the blues.

There is a lot of misinformation and confusion about how and when the blues began. Even Blues scholars disagree. But, in principle, the music of the 19th century, which usually was by African-Americans played on the banjo and that was an adaptation of an African instrument, change at the end of that century, when cheap guitars became available. The importance of the guitar was that unlike the banjo could sound the nuts. The blues player goal was to his instrument to mimic the human voice. The guitar, through bending strings and sliding between notes, could be made to sound like there vocal techniques where nuts were sung between the standard Western music notation. This is what the blues was all about.

There is a very important term that should be understood. It's called the "Folk process" by music historians. It simply means that the music changes. Either a musician or a group wants, because their own abilities or creativity, to change and to interpret numbers in their own way. Therefore differed the musical sounds developed in different parts of the country. Different people will just play and sing a song as different ways. That's where styles. The vocals and guitar playing styles popularized by the blues musicians were adapted to other music. These "Folk Process" is how blues singing and guitar methods became part of American music culture.